For the seniors at prestigious Oak Fields Prep, the pressure is on to get into an Ivy League school or to nearby Stanford University. But David Ellison, star of the school play (a bizarre interpretation of The Great Gatsby), wants to go to Juilliard instead. As David’s Juilliard audition and the play’s opening night approach, he is plagued with doubts about his acting ability and his relationships with two girls: new student/leading lady Vanessa and Ellen, his overachieving girlfriend. In this somewhat muddled portrait of an actor as a young man, it remains uncertain whether David is as “honest” and insightful as the character he plays or as much of a phony as his competitive peers. David suffers some painful falls onstage and off, but gains some self-awareness in the novel’s farfetched climax. Voorhees (The Brothers Torres) succeeds in conveying the cutthroat atmosphere of an exclusive high school, where one follows expectations not dreams. However, his characters are underdeveloped, rarely moving beyond the realm of rich, spoiled students with big ambitions. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger. (July)